Expiry Date Check

2017-09-05

By: Libby Znaimer

Have you checked the expiry dates on your medications and other products lately? Most people do it infrequently, but it’s a good idea to clean out your medicine cabinet twice a year. After the expiry date, medications start to lose their effectiveness, and so do products like sunscreen – so if you keep taking them you may not be getting the treatment or the protection you need. Some drugs even become toxic. Storing medications in the wrong place can also reduce their efficacy. Many of us keep drugs in the bathroom, but they really should be put in places that are not humid. A poll showed that in addition to prescription drugs, the most common expired products people found at home were Sunscreen, Cough & Cold medicine, Allergy pills and Vitamins.

And please be careful about how you dispose of old drugs. Don’t throw them in garbage or flush them down the toilet. Your pharmacist will take them back and dispose of them safely.